Pennridge's Dameron to play baseball at West Chester

Bux-Mont Notebook

May 14, 2004|Robert Hoffman Special to the Morning Call -- Freelance

Blair Dameron wants to play ball. Baseball that is, which is exactly what he will be doing for West Chester University next season. The Pennridge senior recently signed on with the Golden Rams, after also seriously considering Penn State and La Salle.

Strangely, Dameron's path to signing with West Chester didn't begin with baseball.

"Going into the year, I wanted to just play baseball in college," he said. "Then, I had a pretty good football season and I was recruited for that. I thought maybe I'll play both. I had a real good football recruiting trip with West Chester."

Dameron continued, "When I went on my visit, the football coaches knew that I played baseball. So, Chris Calciano, the baseball coach, came out and shook my hand kind of nonchalantly. About a week into my baseball season, I got a phone call from him. We started talking about once a week and then it picked up to two times a week. I watched a game down there and then made another trip to the university. They gave me a scholarship offer and I was ready to make my decision so I did it."

Pennridge will miss the hard-hitting catcher who brings instant offense to the team. Dameron is hitting .452 this season with four home runs and 15 RBIs. He has an astounding on-base percentage of .656 and his propensity for getting walked (21 times in just 16 games) is an obvious sign that the opposing pitchers want no part of facing him.

"He's a very good hitter," Pennridge coach Tom Nuneviller said. "Blair can hit for a high average and has good power. He sees the ball very well. One of the great things about him is that he can hit the ball the other way. When you hit the ball the other way, it just opens up opportunities to get hits."

Dameron will also not be forgotten on the football field, where he led the Rams to a 10-3 record. In addition to Dameron's live throwing arm, opponents will not miss trying to tackle the 6-4, 225-pounder who often carried the ball in short-yardage situations.

At West Chester, Dameron will join a team that has posted three consecutive 30-win seasons. This year, the Golden Rams compiled an all-time best 36 wins. West Chester (36-10-2) is currently playing in the NCAA Division II North Atlantic Regional tournament with a spot in the National Championship tournament on the line.

Dameron will get an opportunity to compete for a job immediately; a factor that helped him make the decision to sign with West Chester.

"Their first and third baseman are seniors and they graduate," he said. "At Penn State, I'd be redshirted, be a bullpen catcher for a year or two and then maybe have the opportunity to play. I don't really want to sit on the bench for three years to play two years. Going to West Chester, there is by no means a guarantee that I will start, but at the two positions I play there is not a returning starter. Coach Calciano mentioned that he has a couple of kids there, but he feels that if I come in, hit the ball and work hard, there is no reason that I couldn't start."

Quakertown still alive for Liberty Division crown: With two games left in the regular season, the Quakertown baseball team still has an outside shot at a share of the SOL Liberty Division crown.

The Panthers (10-4) find themselves two games behind league-leading Council Rock South (12-2). In order for Quakertown to gain a share of the title, the Panthers will have to defeat Cheltenham and have C.R. South fall to Plymouth-Whitemarsh today. Then, Quakertown would have to defeat C.R. South in the season finale on Monday.

After enduring three one-run loses a week ago, Quakertown rebounded nicely with three big victories this week. On May 10th, the Panthers hammered Norristown 13-2. Mark Angelo struck out seven and walked none in picking up the victory. Angelo helped his own cause with three RBIs.

Then, on May 11th and 12th, Quakertown took both games of a series with Plymouth-Whitemarsh (9-5). In doing so, the Panthers moved into sole possession of second place in the Liberty Division.